The count down until Alex's trial had begun, and each day Alex was kinder to Lafayette and Mulligan, more affectionate with Laurens, and more arrogant with Jefferson.

It was Wednesday, just past lunch time, and Alex sat with John, Hercules, Marquis and Thomas Paine at a metal table in the yard. Across the yard Jefferson and his crew stood, looking down upon the other inmates and bathing in the glorious power bestowed upon them.

There were two ways to earn top dog, and some form of respect, in this environment. You either strike inmates with fear, scare them into obeying, or you appeal to them, allow them to obey you themselves.

Thomas Jefferson used method one, as he had a significant amount of muscle behind him. That muscle was allowed free reign to harass and assault the other inmates while Thomas was in charge, they were his obedient servants. Burr planned to appeal to the inmates when he went for top dog, earn their trust first, lead them honestly.

Alexander Hamilton didn't care, we was out of this shit-hole in a few days and planned to make the most of it. He didn't care what drama he caused and he didn't care if other inmates saw him with John, but obviously John did care, becuase when Alex slung his arm around John's shoulders in the yard, John shrugged it off.

Alex's heart snapped a little at that but he brushed it off. A while later he reached for John's hand but John quickly tugged it away, burying it in his pocket. Alex huffed in annoyance and stood up from the table, catching everyone's attention now. He swivelled around on the balls of his feet and began to walk away from the table.

"Alex!" Lafayette called out after him, "Where are you going?"
"Away," Alex yelled back as he made his way across the yard. John sat and watched Alex leave with a pain throbbing in his chest. I should've told Alex last night.

Alex was almost out of the yard when a group of men moved to stand in his way.
"Hamilton! Where are you off to? The weather out here is beautiful!" Jefferson exclaimed with a bright smile.
"I'm not in the mood Jefferson," Alex mumbled, trying to push past him, but Jefferson's muscle stepped in the way. "Hey!"
"Where are you going, Alexander." Jefferson asked again, his tone of voice noticeably dropping.

"What does it matter to you?" Alex replied, crossing his arms across his chest.
"It matters to me because I need to monitor the activities of other inmates and make sure nothing naughty is happening behind my back." Jefferson laughed, throwing his hands behind his back.
"Well who's monitoring you, Jefferson? Because I'm sure the only person who knows any of your naughty activities is Madison, and where is he right now?" Alex retorted, his hands clamping into tight fists.
"Don't bring Madison into this, just tell me where you're going and you can leave." Jefferson hissed.

"Why? What is the point of this conversation? This is a new level of pettiness." Alex laughed, his fists still clenched. "Now if you'll excuse me," Alex muttered as he advanced forward to push past Jefferson's men, but he was knocked backwards to the grass by a blow to the jaw. Alex dropped to the ground with a loud thud, holding his face in his hands and groaning.

"What the fuck was that for? Just let me leave!" Alex spat, slowly standing back up. Jefferson opened his mouth to speak but a voice beat him to it from behind Alex.

"Let him go Jefferson," Mulligan spoke up.
"He hasn't done anything wrong, stop being a douche," Lafayette joined in. Alex looked behind him and saw Herc, Laf and John all standing behind him.

"Aw relying on his cell-block-buddies for protection!" Jefferson teased, flailing his hands up in a childish fashion.
"I don't need protection! Leave me alone! All of you!" Alex yelled, shoving Jefferson out of his way and storming past. He felt a hand land on his shoulder and he turned around to meet John's apologetic gaze. He tugged his shoulder out of John's grasp and continued to make his way out of the yard.

John was about to speak up when a voice called out behind him.
"Laurens!" It was Seabury.
John walked as Officer Seabury ushered him over. Was this about the incident with Charles? John was praying to Lin that it wasn't.

"You called?" John asked casually as he reached Samuel.
"Washington would like to see you," Seabury replied, nodding his head in the direction of the Governor's office. Oh.

Officer Seabury led John through the corridors of King's until they reached Washington's office and John was dropped off while Samuel waited outside the front door.
"Laurens," Washington greeted with a dashing smile.
"Governor... uh, Mr Washington." John awkwardly replied, making his way over to George's desk.
"Have you been able to come to a conclusion on Hamilton's case yet?" Washington asked slowly, leaning back in his chair casually, as if they were just out for coffee after work and not deciding whether or not a man should be charged with murder or not.

John thought for a moment, tempted to ask for one more night, but Alex probably wasn't going to talk to him tonight, even though John needed to. John nodded and a bright grin lit up Washington's face.
"Brilliant! I can set you up with a computer to type up the lag on and it will then be taken to the court with Alexander at his trial, you won't need to come don't worry. And whatever you say, Alexander will have no way of knowing who submitted the lag, so you have no reason to worry for your safety," Washington explained, gathering a few papers scattered along his desk and tapping them into a neat pile. John nodded with a half-hearted smile and stood as Washington did, following him into an office-like room extending off his office. Seabury followed them in, bringing in a laptop for John to type at.

Once John was seated by the laptop he sat for a moment, shuffling every encounter he had with Alex in his mind like a deck of cards. Even considering the incident just now in the yard, Alex was threatened by Jefferson but didn't actually get physical. He fights with his words, would he really murder his cousin that he speaks so dearly of?

John began typing the lag from the perspective that viewed Alex as innocent. He had finished his thesis statement but after reading it a few times deleted it. He retyped it, but it didn't seem to work.
Could Alex be guilty?
To be fair, John had no solid proof of either guilt or innocence, as Alex had been extremely insistent on being innocent.
He couldn't be.
If I claim Alex is innocent, I'll loose him and it's quite possible I'll never see him again.
But what if I claim guilty and he really was innocent?
Alex's immediate future rest in John's hands, despite John's word not being the final say in Alex being guilty or not, it still played a big part in determining it, and John couldn't screw this up.

John finished the lag in just under an hour, saving the document and leaving the laptop with Washington before he was taken back to his cell block by Seabury. He was confident in what he had written.

---

That night John watched the clock through his bedroom doorway. He looked across the cell common area and into Alex's room where he sat curled up in bed with his journal beside him. He looked peaceful.

John turned his attention back to the clock, seeing the guard that came by their cell block in his peripheral vision. He watched the guard check each cell before locking up the block. As soon as the guard left John leaped up and legged it into Alex's room, making it inside as his door began to hiss shut.

"John! What are you doing here?" Alex gasped at first, his voice lowering to a disappointed murmur.
"I came to apologise," John sighed, leaning back against Alex's cell door.
"I don't want your apology." Alex mumbled, falling backwards in bed and letting his pillow consume his head.
"Well too bad because now I'm locked in here for the night, I'm apologising whether you like it or not," John laughed awkwardly, slowly making his way over to Alex's bed.

John sat on the floor beside the bed and rest his head on the wall, his body slightly tilted to face Alex.
"Listen, I'm sorry for the way I was acting in the yard,"
Silence.
"I wanted to hold hands, and hug you, I really did-" John paused, waiting for maybe a 'then why didn't you' or maybe a 'so did I'. He got more silence. "But I pushed you away because I haven't come out to anyone in here, and I really don't need to be giving Levi or Jefferson more fuel to use when they harass me." John explained.
"Oh," Alex muttered quietly, finishing with more silence.
"I'm sorry, I really want to be with you, but we'd have to keep it between us," John concluded, leaning his head back against the wall.

"That would be hard, considering I just want to hold you every time we're together, but maybe a little self-control is something I could benefit from," Alex laughed quietly, slowly warming up.
Maybe a little self-control is something I could benefit from, is that a sign?
Ever since he had finished the lag John was over-thinking every tiny thing Alex had ever done.
No, you're freaking out, chill.

"Well I suppose I'm sorry too, for not considering why you might've pushed me away. I took it personally which probably wasn't the best idea." Alex replied, tilting his head to face John. He extended an arm out from the bed and John grabbed his hand, being pulled to his feet and into the bed.

He fell on top of Alex and lay on him for a moment, Alex's quiet giggles shaking John's head.
"G-get off," Alex smiled, shoving him playfully.
"No." John smirked, propping himself up on his elbows over Alex. He leaned down and pecked him on the lips, before falling into a deeper, slower kiss. He bit Alex's lip, letting it slip between his teeth as he pulled away.

"You know what Alex, you are guilty." John spoke firmly, still hovering over Alex.
"Wha- John I've told you-" Alex began to interject before John cut back in.
"Hamilton, you stole my heart," John laughed as Alex's worried expression diminished and was replaced with a calm smile.
"Then you're just as guilty as me because I have reason to believe you stole mine in return," Alex chuckled, pulling John into one last kiss.

John laughed in the kiss before sliding off of Alex and lying beside him in bed. Their legs were intertwined over the bedsheets, not bothering to pull them on. No 'good night's were exchanged as both boys subconsciously fell asleep in each others arms on a train of thought. Funnily enough, they were both thinking about the same thing, Alex's fast-approaching trial.